Adjusting Valve Clearances

[V Mad]

When you remove the camshaft to adjust tappet shims, I found outtoday there is a snag. You need to first park the timing chain sprocket onto a keeper plate but when you tryto put it back onto the camshaftthe chain is too tight.

I have heard of this before butstupidlydidnt think it was likely to happen to me.

I think the tensioner has latched onto the nextratchet stop, and I cannot release it without taking off the timing cover; big job :X:X

Next time I do this I am going to try to keep the chain under tension somehow maybe by putting a wedge between the chain and guide.

Anyone else had this problem?

[NickA]

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V Mad wrote:

When you remove the camshaft to adjust tappet shims, I found outtoday there is a snag. You need to first park the timing chain sprocket onto a keeper plate but when you tryto put it back onto the camshaftthe chain is too tight.

I have heard of this before butstupidlydidnt think it was likely to happen to me.

I think the tensioner has latched onto the nextratchet stop, and I cannot release it without taking off the timing cover; big job :X:X

Next time I do this I am going to try to keep the chain under tension somehow maybe by putting a wedge between the chain and guide.

Anyone else had this problem?

Yep also happend to me; you need to really tighten the sprocket onto the keeper plate so it can't move, I'm sure mine only moved a fraction in the keeper plate hole but it was enough to click the tensioner out a notch. Makes the job a whole lot bigger especially as I managed to destroy the sump gasket getting the front cover off as well

[Des N]

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Had the same thing.But then I'd been turning the engine over to punch off one of the heads, so not surprised it tensioned up. Taking the front covers off did allow me to change the 3 gaskets which were leaking. Every cloud...:?

[V Mad]

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NickA wrote:

you need to really tighten the sprocket onto the keeper plate so it can't move,

I think that was my mistake. Next time I will fully tighten it first. and as Des says if youturn the engine over you may lose the tension.

Oh well, at least I can check all the timing gear and maybe as a minimudo a chain replacement anyway. As you say every cloud....

The trick with the sump gasket is, after loosening the sump,to slice along above itwith a thin blade (a thin scraper is good for this) just where ittouches the timing cover, which then comes off without breaking the gasket.

[Des N]

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I used a feeler guageto split thesump gasket. Took a whileeasing it along the topof thegasket but worked ok. Came away without breaking and then a smear of gasket seal when putting the timing chain covers back on.